The president of Atlético de Madrid, Enrique Cerezo, affirmed this Thursday that the rojiblanco team studies “all situations” and is “making plans” at an economic level depending on when LaLiga Santander can resume, suspended by the coronavirus pandemic. “We are making the plans that we have to make, the three options, if this starts quickly, at one date or another, and even until the competition is suspended. We are doing it as all companies do, because of the need to know where we are and how we can be in each of the situations, “said the rojiblanco leader in statements to 'Radio Marca'.
Asked if Atlético plans to launch a Temporary Employment Regulation File (ERTE), Cerezo pointed out that “everyone is doing ERTEs”. “All the big companies are doing ERTEs, but an ERTE does not mean an ERE. I understand and understand that all the big companies are doing their numbers, preparing what has to be prepared so that in any of the situations we can be available and ready to continue, “he replied.
As for itself the rojiblanco club plans to propose a temporary reduction of salary to its players, as other teams have done, the rojiblanco leader assured that his players are “consistent” with the economic situation. “I think that neither by them, nor by the coach and technicians we will have any problem, because they are always going to rise to the occasion, “he added.
Cerezo was against to conjecture on when the competition will be able to be resumed, since that can generate “confusion to the people”, since “nobody” knows when it will be possible to return to normality.
On whether he considers it necessary to end the season, he said that it will have to be done “if it can be finished” and that in the meantime you have to “anticipate the problems that may arise”. “It is useless to say now that in May it will begin, when we do not know, and we do not know how long this can last”he added.
Atlético played their last official match on Wednesday the 11th in Liverpool, the Champions League round of 16 return with a 2-3 victory, a move that has been criticized in the English press for having allowed almost 3,000 fans to travel when in Madrid it was already known that there was a focus of coronavirus.
“We went to Liverpool because we had to play there, and since they did not prohibit it, we had to play there. If they tell us that we did not have to go, we would not have gone”Cerezo said.
The rojiblanco leader confirmed that there has been no case of Covid-19 in the squad and coaching staff and said that Atlético “is always ready to help” the authorities in the health emergency. “I have spoken a couple of times with the mayor of Madrid, he is very concerned. The problem that Madrid has is important”, admitted Cerezo, who praised both José Luis Martínez-Almeida and the president of the Community Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who are “fighting day and night for this to be solved.”
By last, Atlético's president had a few words of recognition for former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, who died this Saturday as a result of the coronavirus. “I always have in my house a photo in which I am between Lorenzo Sanz and Jesús Gil, in an act in which they sat me down in the middle of the two so they would not argue,” recalled Cerezo, who sent “a big hug” also the former white president Fernando Martín, admitted in serious condition since Monday for this same cause.